Punda Milia Sculpture

I am originally from Kenya. I grew up as a third culture kid on the border of Ethiopia and Somalia. My parents were missionaries who taught me the value of hard work. I grew up doing a lot of construction with concrete and metal. My love for clay as an artistic medium began at a boarding school where I learned to shape it on a pottery wheel. I am a survivor of suicide. I lost my sister to it and have attempted to kill myself with pills. I don't talk about my work without mentioning suicide and Bipolar Disorder. I would like to see the stigma surrounding mental health go away. On my part, I want to be an example to anyone suffering through depression or psychosis; you can come out the other side. You can be a sick and successful artist. The atmospheric conditions of my mind are always a factor in what I create, or whether I can create at all. Every successful piece I make is in the face of my demons. I accept my many failures and inch forward as I try to add a little more beauty to the world.